This agricultural success is all the more impressive considering the geography of the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is a large country without permanent rivers, and less than two percent of its land surface is under cultivation. The Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter), the largest sand desert in the world, stretches across the southern part of the Kingdom. Overall, only an average of about four inches of rain falls annually in the country—one of the lowest rates in the world. At the same time, the Arabian Peninsula has always harbored fertile regions. The farmers of the Asir region in the southwest have long practiced rain-fed agriculture, raising maize, wheat, barley and an array of vegetables and fruit in their terraced fields. Verdant palm oases, such as Al-Qatif and Al-Hasa in the Eastern Province, have always enlivened the brown of the desert. In the provinces of Hail and Al-Qasim, long stretches of arable farmland yield grains and vegetables and are dotted today with chicken and dairy farms.

Water, of course, is the key to agriculture in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom has successfully implemented a multifaceted program to provide the vast supplies of water necessary to achieve the spectacular growth of the agricultural sector. A network of dams has been built to trap and utilize precious seasonal floods. Vast underground water reservoirs have been tapped through deep wells. Desalination plants have been built to produce fresh water from the sea for urban and industrial use, thereby freeing other sources for agriculture. Facilities have also been put into place to treat urban and industrial run-off for agricultural irrigation. These efforts collectively have helped transform vast tracts of the desert into fertile farmland. Land under cultivation grew from under 400,000 acres in 1976 to millions of acres by the 1990s.

Under the current Seventh Development Plan (2000-2004), the Saudi Arabian agricultural sector is expected to diversify the production base through greater investment in large agricultural projects that use renewable resources and modern irrigation techniques for minimal water use. The plan continues the concern for protection of the environment from pollution and preservation of natural resources and wildlife. It will also encourage private investors to establish shareholding companies. Thus, the agricultural sector will meet an increasing percentage of the country's food needs, increase exports and continue to provide food for humanitarian assistance to other countries.